In an effort to protect electronic devices (e.g., printed circuit boards (PCBs), processors, logic circuits, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, etc.), from vibration, moisture, corrosion, or other potential damage attributable to the surrounding environment, usage conditions, or both, the electronic devices are often coated or encapsulated with a potting material. The potting material may at least substantially isolate the electronic device from one or more conditions or events that may damage the electronic device.
A user of an electronic device may store valuable information including, for example, confidential, private, or personal information in memory of the electronic device. After the electronic device has reached an end of its useful life, the user may desire to protect the information stored therein from being viewed or accessed by others. In addition to protecting the electronic device from potential damage, potting materials may also be used to increase a difficulty of accessing information stored within the electronic device, should some unauthorized person try to access it.
Conventional potting materials include a solid or a gelatinous compound, such as a silicone or an epoxy. The potting materials are chemically inert and unreactive with the electronic device encapsulated by the potting material. Although the potting material may prevent immediate access to information stored within the potted electronic device, a person of ordinary skill in the art may, at least in some instances, obtain at least some of the information (e.g., programs and data) stored within the electronic device by carefully removing the potting material from the electronic device. Thus, even though the electronic device is potted in a conventional potting material, information stored in potted electronic devices may still be obtained or accessed by others.
Military and national security applications for electronics may require enhanced security measures to protect software (i.e., firmware) used by, as well as information stored on, electronic devices. Should such devices be captured intact, even when conventionally potted, programs and information on the devices may be accessed without great difficulty by a skilled, determined adversary.